User:Tbronson16/Evaluate an Article

Evaluate an article
This is where you will complete your article evaluation. Please use the template below to evaluate your selected article.


 * Name of article: Gregor Mendel (Gregor Mendel)
 * This article summaries Mendel's personal and academic background. His work is the foundation to the field of genetics, and I am interested in learning more about his life and career.

Lead

 * Guiding questions

The article includes a concise and informative Lead that accurately depicts what is to be covered in the article.


 * Does the Lead include an introductory sentence that concisely and clearly describes the article's topic?
 * Yes, the article includes an introductory sentence about who Mendel is. The first few paragraphs accurately and concisely describes his significant biographical information and scientific works.
 * Does the Lead include a brief description of the article's major sections?
 * Yes, a table of contents in included in the article's introduction.
 * Does the Lead include information that is not present in the article?
 * No, it doesn't appear that the Lead includes information that is not present.
 * Is the Lead concise or is it overly detailed?
 * The Lead is concise and accurately summarizes the covered content.

Content

 * Guiding questions

The article's content is relevant and includes accurate information.


 * Is the article's content relevant to the topic?
 * Yes, the article's content is relevant to the topic.
 * Is the content up-to-date?
 * Yes, the content is up-to-date. The content covers the entirety of Mendel's lifespan as well as the lasting impact of his work.
 * Is there content that is missing or content that does not belong?
 * It does not appear that any content is missing or out of place.

Tone and Balance

 * Guiding questions

The article appears to have a scientific and professional tone throughout.


 * Is the article neutral?
 * Yes, the article is neutral. The language used is professional and non-exaggerated.
 * Are there any claims that appear heavily biased toward a particular position?
 * No, it does not appear that there are any biased claims in the article.
 * Are there viewpoints that are overrepresented, or underrepresented?
 * Viewpoints seem largely neutral and balanced. The information is relevant to Mendel's work and do not stray from the topic.
 * Does the article attempt to persuade the reader in favor of one position or away from another?
 * No, the article makes no attempt to persuade the reader in any manner.

Sources and References

 * Guiding questions

The article uses reputable and thorough references. Information is consistently cited throughout the article.


 * Are all facts in the article backed up by a reliable secondary source of information?
 * The article consistently cites the facts included in the text. The references appear to be reliable secondary sources.
 * Are the sources thorough - i.e. Do they reflect the available literature on the topic?
 * The sources reflect the available literature on the topic and include a wide range of texts (i.e., online journals, printed texts, etc.).
 * Are the sources current?
 * Some of the sources are dated, but this is to be expected when reporting on biographical information. The article includes a few sources that are more recent (i.e., published between 2002 to 2010).
 * Check a few links. Do they work?
 * The five links that I checked worked.

Organization

 * Guiding questions

The article is well-written and well-organized. Subsections are relevant to the topic and make the article flow smoothly.


 * Is the article well-written - i.e. Is it concise, clear, and easy to read?
 * While remaining scientific, the article is clear and concise. It is straight-forward and mostly easy to read.
 * Does the article have any grammatical or spelling errors?
 * I was unable to find any grammatical or spelling errors.
 * Is the article well-organized - i.e. broken down into sections that reflect the major points of the topic?
 * The article is organized and divided into relevant subsections. There are not too many subsections, and the subsections are reflective of the major points of the topic.

Images and Media

 * Guiding questions

The article could stand to use more images. Additionally, the existing images could have more thorough captions.


 * Does the article include images that enhance understanding of the topic?
 * The article includes two images (an image of Mendel and a diagram of Mendelian inheritance)
 * Are images well-captioned?
 * The first image does not include a caption but is included in the biographical section, so it may be assumed that the image is depicting Mendel. While the second image (the diagram) includes a brief caption, the text could be more informative.
 * Do all images adhere to Wikipedia's copyright regulations?
 * Yes, all images adhere to these regulations.
 * Are the images laid out in a visually appealing way?
 * Yes, they are laid out in an appealing manner.

Checking the talk page

 * Guiding questions

The few discussions on this topic pertain to suggested edits.


 * What kinds of conversations, if any, are going on behind the scenes about how to represent this topic?
 * Conversations relate largely to edit suggestions. These suggestions pertain to deletion of sentences, addition of new paragraphs, rewording of existing sentences, and edits to citations.
 * How is the article rated? Is it a part of any WikiProjects?
 * The article is rated as a level-4 vital article and is part of multiple WikiProjects.
 * How does the way Wikipedia discusses this topic differ from the way we've talked about it in class?
 * The discussions do not seem to differ from the way we've discussed in class.

Overall impressions

 * Guiding questions

The article is overall informative and well-written. More information could stand to be added, but overall, the information summarizes his lifespan.


 * What is the article's overall status?
 * The article appears to be complete and up-to-date.
 * What are the article's strengths?
 * The article is concise in its language and does not demonstrate biases. The article utilizes numerous reliable secondary sources.
 * How can the article be improved?
 * More information could be included on Mendel's work on pea plants, as well as information on the important of Mendel's work in the field of genetics.
 * How would you assess the article's completeness - i.e. Is the article well-developed? Is it underdeveloped or poorly developed?
 * While additional information, namely on Mendel's laws of inheritance and later applications of his work, could stand to be added, the article is mostly complete. It accurately summarizes Mendel's background and career.

Optional activity

 * Choose at least 1 question relevant to the article you're evaluating and leave your evaluation on the article's Talk page. Be sure to sign your feedback

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